WINTER is a time when the temperature and light changes can throw everyone off their feet.
For babies, this can ruin the good sleep habits they’ve been practicing for months.
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Every parent knows that a good sleep schedule is crucial for both you and your child.
You can take some steps to help your little one cope with the changes in weather.
Lisa Lewis, a sleep consultant has shared her top tips for getting babies to sleep.
She said TheDozyOwl“These are my mantras to get my babies to sleep every night.
“The 5 Bs (sleep cues) are designed to help your baby learn what is important for the evening.
“A strict routine will help them unwind and relax.”
BATH
Avoid bathing your baby before the end of each day.
After taking a warm bath their bodies will cool down, which encourages sleepiness and tiredness.
Once your baby has become comfortable with their routine, the first step is to let them go. This will help you to move on to the next steps.
BEDROOM
Once your baby has settled in the bedroom, it’s best for them to stay there.
You should make the room quiet, dark, and comfortable so that they don’t feel stimulated before going to bed.
In the winter months, it is important to maintain a comfortable bedroom temperature.
A room too warm will prevent your child’s core body temperature from decreasing in order to sleep, and too cold a room could act as a stimulant, counteracting the effects of their warm bath.
BOOKS
Children and babies are never too old to read books…
The soothing voice of the primary care givers can make your baby feel relaxed and secure, which will induce sleep.
Baby will drift off if you are consistent with their bedtime routine.
BOTTLE/BREAST
To avoid disturbing your baby’s sleep, you should be able to sit comfortably while you breastfeed or bottle feed.
Another wonderful time to be calm is this.
Warm water before bed will not only make your baby sleepy but it will also prevent them from getting hungry later in the evening.
BED/COT
It is best to put your baby in their bed/cot only when they are awake and awake.
This will stop them from being startled, and allow them to settle down.
We’ve also revealed that we’re aware of ‘wake Windows’ which can be helpful in getting your baby into a good habit.
It will ensure you get into a routine and mean they aren’t getting under or overtired.
It will be easier for you both to settle them down for a sleep or bedtime at night after a wake-up window.
If they’re 3-6 weeks old then it’s likely to be tiny awake periods, with a nap window between 1hr15-1hr30 from their last wake time.
For 6–12-week-olds it’ll be at 1hr 30mins -1hr 45, and at 12-16 weeks – 1hr 45-2 hours.
When they get to 5 months, they can stretch to 2hr 15 minute windows and 6-12 month old’s can push that to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
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